Soriel's Knowledge
by ObsidianSQRegal
Summary: A young woman on a quest for knowledge...but what type of wisdom? Read and find out! Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1 Quest for Knowledge

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>AN- Ratings are for later chapters. I have been writing and re-writing this story for years, and the beginning has always seemed a little childish for me, but I feel like it gets better, so please, review away!

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>In a time not so long ago, but in a land far away, a King met a beautiful woman whom he made his Queen. Together they had a daughter named Soriel. Soriel grew up to become the strongest and most beautiful maiden in all the land.<p>

At the early age of seven, Soriel was quick of wit, nimble, and strong of body. The king decided to have these traits developed by training her in the art of hand-to-hand combat. He had one of his two best knights brought in to train her. Sir Kristian was a handsome man in his early thirties, and he was also the best hand-to hand combatant on Dertek. During the course of each day she would begin with riding lessons, study her daily lessons during her lunch hour, and work through her hand-to-hand routines in the evening. This rigorous routine left her exhausted, wanting nothing more than the comfort of a warm bath and her comfortable bed. After Soriel learned and perfected the art of weaponless defense and attack, her thirst for knowledge grew.

At the age of eleven, Soriel began begging her father for new knowledge in the art of fighting. Just months before, she had been awarded mastery over hand-to-hand combat, horsemanship, and the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and the sciences. Still she yearned for more, and she asked her father to let her have this knowledge. Knowing his daughter had an insatiable appetite for knowledge equal to her mothers', he acquiesced. He brought in the second of his best knights, Sir Rogir, to train Soriel in the arts of swordplay and archery. Soriel's schedule quickly changed. She was up before the dawn, practicing her hand-to-hand routines, studying her daily lessons in the morning, riding her horse at noon, practicing archery in the afternoon, and going through her swordplay in the evening. She crawled into bed each night, tired and sore, but with a smile on her face at the knowledge that she was gaining. As the years flew by, Soriel mastered the art of swordplay and archery. At the age of fifteen, she was awarded mastery of them both. Still, her thirst for knowledge led her back to her father, who, knowing his wife, and in so his daughter, had already arranged for her bright young mind to be fostered by the best of the best in the world.

While she was away, many rumors began as to why she was no longer seen around the palace. Some whispered that she had accidentally been killed while she practiced with the dangerous weapons that her 'foolish' father let her toy with, others that she had been secretly married off, never to be seen from again. The truth of the matter was that she had been away learning about many things, including but not limited to herbalism, armory, tracking, music, and cooking. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Soriel felt a longing for a knowledge that she had never before felt. It was the knowledge of love.

A/N I had posted this on my AFF account, but chose to post here as well. :)


	2. Chapter 2 Sparks Ignite

"Yah!" yelled Bahan, urging his horses to move faster. 'I can't wait to get this work done so that I can have the rest of the day to relax.' he thought to himself as he held the plow in place, making straight lines in the dirt. 'You would think that with my 20th birthday only a day away, my father would give me a break from working...yeah right! I probably won't even get tomorrow to laze around.'

His inner thoughts were immediately halted when a seemingly unmanned horse crashed through the trees surrounding the pasture he was plowing. Jumping into action, he quickly unhooked one of his horses from its' yoke and, jumping on bareback, rushed to catch the horse that was screwing up his field. As he approached the horse, a young girl suddenly appeared on its back, and pulled in the reins, stopping the horse mid-gait, causing him to pull hard on the reins to avoid a crash.

"Woah, Moonshine!" called the girl, patting the neck of the horse. "how could I have fallen asleep again?" she asked out loud, not knowing there was someone behind her, until she heard a voice boom out that sent shivers down her spine ask "Fall asleep? While riding a horse? Are you insane? You could have been killed!"

At the reprimand, Soriel cringed. She slowly turned Moonshine around, thinking she would be face-to face with one of the guards from the castle. When her eyes lifted, she could do nothing but stare. In front of her was the handsomest man she had ever seen, excluding her father of course, not that she had been able to see many men anyway, at least not the way this one was.

He was tall, shirtless, with a tanned, muscular body. His shaggy blue hair was tousled and sweaty, like he had been working hard in the sun all day, and he sat bare-back on a horse, looking like a god that had stepped straight out of one of the many mythology books she had read. He had beautiful hunter green eyes that seemed to pierce her through and through. "Umm...Did I say fall asleep?" she asked.

Bahan was speechless at first, seeing a girl randomly pop up on the horses back, but when he heard her say something about falling asleep, he couldn't contain himself. "Fall asleep? While riding a horse? Are you insane? You could have been killed!" His voice boomed out, louder than he meant it to. 'Damn my changing voice.' he thought silently to himself, until he focused his eyes on the subject that made him speak.

Simply put, she was amazing. It was the first time he had ever seen a woman, let alone a girl, not in a dress of some sort. She was wearing the type of clothes that you would see any horseman wearing when on a riding journey, but it amazed him to see a woman wearing pants. It didn't hurt that she was shapely and athletic. She had dark purple hair that should have been flowing down around her shoulders, but was held back in a leather thong, full lips that begged to be kissed, a pert, shapely nose, and ice blue eyes to die for. His hands itched to touch her skin, just to see if it would be as soft as it looked, or if it would be rough like his own, from riding and hard work.

"Umm...Did I say fall asleep?" The words slowly trickled through to his brain, startling him out of his examination of her. 'How long was I staring?' They both thought. "I'm certain you did, mi'lady." Bahan said in a much quieter tone, edging closer to this specimen of beauty. "Well, I-I have been working very hard lately, so-" Soriel began, only to be interrupted. "If you have been working hard enough that you fall asleep while riding your horse, may I suggest you quit working so hard, or take better respite than you have been?" Bahan boldly put forth.

"Have you any idea of who I am?" Soriel balked with his reprimand. No one, no matter how handsome they maybe, had the right to talk to her like that, especially if they were some farmers offspring. "I've no idea, and don't much give two hoots or ten hollers who you are, if you come plowing through my fields, destroying all of my hard work." he said, even as he saw the ire rise in her features.

" I am Soriel, Princess of Ziridia!" she proclaimed with a frown marring her pretty mouth. "Ahh!, excuse me, PRINCESS, for being a lowly farmer, and not knowing of your greatness, oh GREAT ONE." Bahan sarcastically remarked, bowing as low as he could while being seated on his horse. "My name is probably of no importance to you, but I offer it anyway. It is Bahan, but you may call me by anything you wish, PRINCESS."

She could hear the sarcasm dripping from his every word, and she didn't like it one bit. "Well, BAHAN, if you would please get off your horse, and oblige me in a fight, I would be greatly appreciative." she said, knowing that she could best him in any form of fight that he could think of. As he dismounted, Bahan replied with a smirk on his face, knowing he would win, "Of course, Your Highness. What form of fight would you like? Would you like me to get out my *sword*? Or would you rather this be a *hand to hand* match?" he asked.

"I haven't had a nice hand to hand fight in a long time, and I feel I'm a bit rusty, so that would do nicely." Soriel said as she jumped down from her horse, and put distance between herself and the horses. She stood there patiently while Bahan tied his horses, along with Moonshine, to a nearby tree. As soon as he turned around she crouched into her fighting stance, taking him by surprise with her seeming knowledge of combat.

'This might not be as simple as it looks.' Bahan thought as he neared his opponent and dropped into position. As the two clashed, it was quickly apparent that she knew how to fight, meeting every one of his blows, and landing at least one of her own for every two that he threw. Within twelve punches being thrown between the two of them, the fight was over, with Bahan lying on his back in the soft dirt and Soriel standing triumphantly over him.

'Time to play a little dirty.' He thought, as he swept her legs out from under her, knocking her to the ground, and quickly flipping her underneath of him. As he lay on top of her, their breath mingling, he suddenly remembered who it was he was lying on so improperly and jumped up, yanking her up with him and quickly placing her on her horse. He then dropped to his knees and waited for something, anything, to happen.

Soriel was knocked breathless, her back flat against the ground. Suddenly there was warmth all around her, and warm air upon her face. Just as quickly as she was regaining awareness of her surroundings, she was thrown off balance again as the warmth left and she was on her feet, and then on her horse. She took a moment to get reoriented, and then a few more to figure out what the hell had just happened. When her brain finally caught up with what had happened to her body, she grabbed her reins and spurred Moonshine into a gallop, headed to the castle as fast as her horse would take her. A spark had been kindled, a question brought to light, but it would be a few years until it was a raging, unquenchable fire.


End file.
